El Paso, Texas (KTSM) — The late singer Selena Quintanilla will be honored at the 2021 Grammy Awards in January.
The singer’s official Twitter account posted a quote in her honor right after the announcement: “The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.”
The queen of Tejano was selected as a recipient of the Recording Academy’s award to recognize her outstanding accomplishments in the music industry.
Selena became a household name not long after her career took off in the 1980s. Her 1993 album, “Live,” won Best Mexican-American Album at the 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards, marking the first time a female Tejano artist won the category. Though her life was tragically cut short in 1995, Selena’s crossover album, the posthumously released “Dreaming of You,” sold 175,000 copies on the day of its release, a then-record for a female vocalist.
“As we welcome the new class of Special Merit Award honorees, it gives us a chance to reward and recognize the influence they’ve had in the music community regardless of genre,” said Harvey Mason Jr., Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy.
Other honorees of the Lifetime Achievement Award included Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne, Salt-N-Pepa and Talking Heads.
Given the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, more details about the special award presentation event will be announced at a later date.
